Improvement in whip-racks



`1. MURPHY a F. c. wvcKorF.

Whip Racks. l

16.153,104.. y y Patentedmlywn.

NITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE.

JOHN MURPHY AND FRANK O. YOKOFF, OF N Ev YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO SAID JOHN MURPHY.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHIP-RACKS.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 153,104, dated July 14, 1874; application filed December 9, P73.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN MURPHY and FRANK C. WYcKoFF, both of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an I mproved lVhip-Rack, of which the following'is a specification:

This invention relates to certain improvements in whip-racks which are constructed with a series of apartments, in which are hinged iiaps for holding the whip between said iiap and a projection or block on the rack-bar.

This invention consists of a bar or railhaving projections or blocks, each provided with an elastic face, and with a eoncavity in its rear, to operate in connection with pivoted gravitating dogs adapted to said concavities, as will hereinafter be fully explained.

In the drawing, Figure l is a front view of the rack, representing its middle portion broken out, to avoid occupying unnecessary space on the sheet. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken through one of the gravitating dogs and Fig. 3 is a top view thereof, showing one of the blocks in section, so as to disclose the adjacent dog.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. i l

A is the bar or back rail of the rack. It is of rectangular form, and may be ornamented with moldings along its edges to enhance its appearance. It is provided near the ends with lugs a a, which afford a convenient means of securing it to its support by screws or nails. Gravitating dogs B B are pivoted, by screws s s, to the face ofthe rail at regular intervals, and a series of intervening blocks or projections, O O, are provided on the rail for them to act with to hold the whips. The faces of these gravitating dogs are sloped off to be at variant distances from their pivots, and thus enable them to hold whips of different sizes. At the upper end they nearly reach the faces of the opposite blocks, and therefore are enabled to hold whips of very small size.

To obviate the slipping of the whips between the dogs and blocks, the faces of the former are serrated, and those of the latter are made elastic, as we shall presently describe. The

back portions of the dogs, in roar of their pivots, are. arc-shaped and eccentric to the point where the dogs are p ivoted to the rail. Owing to this the lower vthe dogs drop to approach the faces of their opposite blocks, the nearer their back portions approach the backs of the blocks behind them, till at a certain point they come in contact with these blocks, and are prevented from-moving farther, so as to become displaced for further action, as otherwise they might do, and would need to be replaced and held by hand while the whips were inserted in the racks.

The blocks or projections O C have straight faces fj', but their backs are recessed to accommodate and control the dogs. In the lower portion they are recessed concavely to correspond with the arc-shaped backs of the dogs, and above this extend obliquely upward to permit the upward movement of the dogs. On account of the eccentricity of the j dogs7 backs, whenever their outer portions are depressed, their backs approach nearer and nearer to the concavities in the backs of the blocks, till at last they fit snugly therein, and preclude any further downward movement of the outerparts of the dogs. The blocks C may be made of wood, and are faced with india-rubber or other elastic material, or they may be made wholly of rubber or the like. Elasticity at their faces enables them to hold the whips better, as I previously stated. One of the end blocks of the series does not need a face of the kind described, and the other does not need a back shaped as just specified, for the reason that there are no dogs beyond'them.

To insert a whip in the rack its upper naiv row portion is placed between one of the gravitating dogs and the face of its fellow block, and is pushed upward till the part at which it is desired to be held reaches the face of the dog. The whip is then let go, and by drawing down the dog causes it to clamp such portion between it and its block, and thereby to hold it firmly. To withdraw a whip from the rack it is taken hold of by the hand and raised slightly, to release itfrom the dog, and is then pulled out away from the rail.

'We are aware that a rack-bar has been provided with a series of apartments, in each of which is hinged a broad flap, which is limited in its uiward movement by a stop, in such a manner that a whip may be held between said Hap and the face of the Wall of the apartment, but such is not our invention; but

What we claim as our invention isrlhe rail A, havin@ the blocks G, each provided with an elastic face, and with a oonoavity in its rear, t0 operate in connection with the pivoted gravitating dogs B, all constructed and combined as herein shown and described.

JOHN MURPHY. FRANK C. WYCKOFF.

Witnesses HENRY T. BROWN, FRED. HAYDE 

